Rack of venison with haggis crust and rosemary jus

Rack of venison with haggis crust and rosemary jus
  • Serves icon Serves 6
  • Time icon Hands-on time 30 minutes, oven time 30-40 minutes

If haggis, neeps and tatties aren’t your cup of tea on Burns Night, up your game with this haggis-crusted rack of (Scottish-sourced) venison. Perfect as a  Burns Night dinner party main.

Serve it with these heather-scented roast carrots, which give another nod to the Scottish Highlands.

 

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
410kcals
Fat
15.4g (6.4g saturated)
Protein
41.6g
Carbohydrates
20.2g (11.9g sugars)
Fibre
4.5g
Salt
0.8g
Calories
410kcals
Fat
15.4g (6.4g saturated)
Protein
41.6g
Carbohydrates
20.2g (11.9g sugars)
Fibre
4.5g
Salt
0.8g

Ingredients

  • 15g (small handful) breadcrumbs
  • 150g haggis, skin removed (the food team like MacSween)
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • Venison rack (7 chops), French trimmed, chine bone removed: ask your butcher to do this or buy ready-trimmed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
  • 1-2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 30g salted butter
  • 6 carrots, halved lengthways
  • 6 banana shallots, halved lengthways
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 3-4 fresh thyme sprigs

For the rosemary jus

  • 500ml good quality fresh or homemade beef stock
  • 150ml tawny port
  • 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 220°C/fan200°C/gas 7. Pulse the breadcrumbs and haggis in a food processor until the mixture turns crumbly. Add the parsley and season with salt and plenty of pepper. Pulse again briefly to mix, then remove to a bowl. (Alternatively, crumble everything with your fingers.)
  2. Rub the venison with the 2 tbsp olive oil, then rub with salt and pepper. Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. When hot, add the venison and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the meat from the pan, brush the mustard all over, then coat with a light layer of haggis crust. Don’t press it down too much – keep it slightly loose so it doesn’t go claggy.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the top.
  3. In a frying pan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the carrots, shallots, garlic and thyme, then cook gently for 5-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until they take on a little colour. Put in a roasting tray and sit the venison rack on top.
  4. Roast for 30-40 minutes for rare to medium-rare (a digital probe thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the meat should read 50-55°C). Rest the meat in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.
  5. While it’s roasting, make the jus. Put the stock, port and rosemary into a medium pan. Heat to a simmer, then reduce for 30-40 minutes until syrupy and full of flavour. Add the sherry vinegar and season to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve the venison.
  6. To serve, bring the venison rack to the table and carve. One thick chop is enough per person (the leftover chop is a chef’s perk!).

delicious. tips

  1. Plan ahead: order a rack of venison from a good butcher, or go online. If you can’t find venison, a rack of lamb will also work, though the cooking time will need to be decreased slightly. Or use a loin of venison: coat with the haggis crust, roast for 30 minutes, then start checking the internal temperature, as in the recipe. We recommend using a digital probe thermometer to test the meat temperature precisely.

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